Chapter 482: A Seven-Year Middle-earth Dream

Following the release of the latest box office briefing, Duke left England. David and Penny Kalis stayed behind temporarily to keep the Man United rumors alive. With the assistance of the Warner UK Branch, they would try to drag the negotiations out for as long as possible to attract maximum attention.

Duke wasn't actually that interested in Manchester United. If the current owners were truly willing to sell for around 300 million pounds, he wouldn't mind taking it over. After all, the future of the Premier League belonged to an era of massive wealth. Reselling it to Arab tycoons down the line would be a guaranteed profit.

However, a price like that would hardly move the Manchester United shareholders. Furthermore, as the media hype continued to build, the Glazer Family, also hailing from North America, had joined the game.

This would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction among die-hard English Man United fans. But Man United didn't have that many local supporters in England anyway, and which overseas fan would care where the club's new owner came from?

Compared to the chain reaction this would trigger among fans and media worldwide, the discontent of a few local English holdouts meant nothing.

Meanwhile, facing the upcoming weekend release of the Pixar Studio blockbuster Finding Nemo, The Lord of the Rings Studio ramped up its promotional efforts in North America, despite the massive difference in their target audiences. They wanted the film's North American box office to break the 500 million dollar mark as soon as possible.

Return of the King once again took the cover headline of Premiere. With the trilogy coming to an end, the coverage focused entirely on themes of memory and nostalgia, inspiring audiences to head into theaters once more.

"Do you still remember how you felt three years ago when you first experienced the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? Did it feel like you were instantly transported to a magical world? Did it feel as if you had embarked on a long, thrilling adventure alongside The Fellowship of the Ring?"

"Whether it was the bright, peaceful green fields of The Shire, the fluttering leaves of Rivendell that carried sorrow without despair, or the pristine, classically elegant white towers of Minas Tirith, the beauty radiating from The Lord of the Rings trilogy has always been breathtaking. That profound concern for the world, that unwavering conviction that light will conquer evil, and that devotion to a bitter love spanning lifetimes—all of it is deeply moving!"

"A film series elevated a literary masterpiece, forged a massive fanbase, and left behind an immortal cinematic legend. The entire production process of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, its intricate details, and those exquisite visuals and scenes keep drawing fans back to appreciate and discuss it time and time again. They willingly step into theaters over and over, hoping to discover something new. Three years have passed, yet The Lord of the Rings series feels as though it never truly ended. Much like The Fellowship of the Ring in the books—even though they disbanded, they remain a team marching bravely forward, and they will never disappear from our lives!"

"The Lord of the Rings trilogy brought us far more than just the audiovisual spectacle provided by cutting-edge technology. It is a work worth savoring over and over again."

"Dreaming back to Middle-earth, the legend lives on!"

It wasn't just professional industry media like Premiere. The edition of Time Magazine published this week also featured Duke on its cover!

The cover used a photo of Duke sitting in front of Bag End as its background, paired with an incredibly striking headline: A Seven-Year Middle-earth Dream!

"Duke Rosenberg shares the dream-weaving journey through Middle-earth he has walked over these past seven years with his audience!"

Sitting on the villa's ocean-facing terrace, Ivanka flipped open the copy of Time Magazine in her hands and shot Duke a dissatisfied look. Duke quickly pulled his gaze back from the ocean and flashed her a brilliant smile.

"Darling, keep going. I'm listening."

Any article or review praising Duke was the most wonderful treat for Ivanka. She read aloud in a low voice, yet it carried a faint hint of pride.

"From the moment preparations began for The Lord of the Rings trilogy to the final chapter of The Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King today, Duke Rosenberg and his team have gone through an incredible, arduous seven-year journey. Across three films, they have made the magnificent and brilliant magical world of Middle-earth penned by Professor Tolkien leap onto the silver screen."

"Bringing his beloved works and boundless imagination to the screen has always been Duke Rosenberg's dream. Yet behind the glorious brilliance of this Middle-earth dream forged over seven years lies untold struggle and hardship. It is hard to believe that whenever Duke Rosenberg takes on a new film project, this top Hollywood director suffers from severe anxiety."

"'From the very first day of shooting, I had the exact same nightmare every single night'—during an interview in Los Angeles earlier this January, Duke immediately began pouring out his grievances. 'I dreamed I was lying in bed, with the crew gathered around me, waiting for me to tell them what to do. But I didn't quite know what I wanted the movie to look like either. I wasn't certain. I felt like the plans weren't even finalized yet, but there they all stood, waiting for my orders. I was so tired, completely exhausted, and it was hard to even think.'"

"'I'm not kidding you, I had nightmares every single night, from the first day of shooting all the way to the day we wrapped. Only then did the nightmares vanish. It was practically purgatory, but it did fade eventually.'—Even though The Lord of the Rings trilogy was finally completed and achieved massive success, Duke Rosenberg also endured countless sleepless nights."

"Now, Duke can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The production of every film carries an immense responsibility, because you are spending colossal amounts of money. That is destined to be a heavy burden. You have to carry that pressure forward and take responsibility for it."

Reading to this point, Ivanka suddenly set the magazine down and leaned over to gently kiss Duke on the cheek.

"Darling..." she said, her heart aching for him.

"That's all in the past now, Evie." Duke took her hand and kissed it. "I was under some pressure, but it wasn't as exaggerated as they make it sound. That was just for promotional purposes."

But Ivanka had been Duke's assistant back then. She knew the pressure he had endured was actually even greater than what the magazine described.

However, Duke clearly didn't want to dwell on it, so she didn't pry any further.

Instead, she followed his lead and asked, "For promotional purposes?"

"The film's box office won't be much of an issue." Duke stood up and walked over to the railing at the edge of the terrace. He leaned his hands on it and gazed out at the endless Pacific Ocean. "This is preparing for next year."

Ivanka understood what Duke meant and walked over to stand beside him.

"Starting this early?" she asked.

"We're already late," Duke said, turning his head to look at her. "Do you know about Sofia's new film?"

"The one she's doing with Scar?"

Hearing that name, Ivanka frowned slightly before relaxing again.

"I think it was called Lost in Translation?"

"Yeah, Lost in Translation." Duke briefly explained, "Since the beginning of the year, Sofia has been taking Lost in Translation to various film festivals to build up critical acclaim. She's aiming straight for next year's Oscar."

Strictly speaking, Return of the King's Oscar Campaign plan was already far behind. Looking at the award-winning films in Hollywood over recent years, it was easy to see that most movies spent about a year solely focused on awards season. From North America to major art film festivals across Europe, they would attend them all, working hard to drum up hype and earn critical praise. Massive amounts of PR and promotional funding were thrown into the ring exactly for this.

By the time the North American awards season arrived, many films gunning for awards had already burned through millions of dollars in PR and promotional fees across various film festivals.

Of course, ever since the Weinstein Brothers had joined this game of fame and fortune, a million dollars wasn't even considered the starting line for an Oscar Campaign.

The Oscar was exactly like the film industry itself: without sufficient investment, don't even think about getting a satisfying return.

Footsteps rang out from the terrace doorway. Duke turned to look and saw the housekeeper, Emma, leading Nancy Josephson inside.

"Have a seat, Nancy," Duke said.

Ivanka warmly ushered her to a seat, and Emma had someone bring in a cup of coffee.

Duke had been the one to call her over.

"How is it coming along?" he asked.

"I ran into Frank Pierson at an event last week," Nancy said as she added sugar to her coffee. "While he didn't state anything outright, the implication he conveyed was very clear."

Duke gave a slight nod. Those old men of the School Faction would never easily reveal their stances to the public, even if they were leaning a certain way privately.

"Britain's Royal Albert Company has finished our order," Nancy continued. "Before November, all the custom Lord of the Rings Porcelain we ordered will be shipped to Los Angeles. Apple has also accepted our order and will manufacture a specialized batch of media players just for us. They've stated the cost will be kept under 100 dollars each. Sony Electronics' latest DVD player has also been finalized, and I expect it will be delivered to you by next week."

"What about the Deluxe DVD Box Set we're pressing?" Duke asked.

Nancy thought for a moment before answering, "By the end of July at the very latest. The one hundred thousand sets of the Commemorative Edition DVD Box Set will be ready."

"Good work, Nancy." Duke was highly appreciative of her efforts.

"It's my job." Nancy laughed. "I'd also be thrilled to have an Oscar Best Director among my clients."

"And what about Warner?" he asked.

"Warner fully supports you." Nancy Josephson made a phone call gesture with her hand. "Doug Walter said that Warner Brothers' resources will fully cooperate with us. If you need anything, just give him a call."

The Weinstein Brothers were old hands at the Oscar Campaign, but the other companies weren't too shabby either. It was just that the differing business philosophies of each company created disparities in how they approached awards season. Miramax's primary business model revolved entirely around the awards season and the Oscar. The studios' varying operational strategies dictated their distinct attitudes toward the awards race.

The Big Six Companies would still live very comfortably even without an Oscar. But if the Weinstein Brothers' films lacked Oscar recognition, even if they didn't outright flop, their profits would take a massive hit.

Therefore, the Big Six Companies merely dipped their toes in the water when it came to the Oscar, whereas the Weinstein Brothers bet almost their entire company's fortune on it. It was only natural that they had become one of the biggest winners at the Oscar in recent years.